A charter school in North Carolina has recently made the decision to shut down all school clubs due to complaints being made about the formation of an LGBT club there.
Lake Lure Classical Academy in Rutherford Country has various extra-curricular school clubs which the school board have temporarily closed down following a 5-3 vote during a meeting attended by concerned parents, teachers, and citizens.
Although the students have every right to form an LGBT club under the Equal Access Act, the existence of the club has caused offense to some students’ families and community members.
One citizen has stated that he does not have a child at Lake Lure but if he did he would take them out immediately because of the existence of an LGBT club there. Another issued a complaint to the school because she had to explain the meaning of “gay” to her young grandchild upon seeing a LGBT poster.
The existence of this poster has also caused upset to local pastor Anton Roos, who called it an “advertising campaign” for the LGBT community. Roos complained that the “Raptors for Christ Club” were not allowed to hang up posters (although sources say this is not true).
Roos claimed the school director had failed the students by allowing the formation of an LGBT club and warned that the club’s existence will cause attendance at the school to dwindle. He also expressed hopes that disciplinary action will be taken against Visual Arts teacher Layne Long who allowed students to use her classroom for club meetings.
Long has defended her decision to help the students and pointed out the LGBT club is “a human rights club” and that the poster displayed in the school was one of many from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) hung in schools across the country.
Long stated:
“I’m extremely proud of my students. If there was no need for this club to exist in this school, it would not exist.”
Image by jglsongs via Flickr under this Creative Commons License.
